Halfway
by TheBotoxChicken
Summary: Being invisible was something Lauren was good at. It kept her from all kinds of unwanted attention. It kept her safe. Problem is, she isn't invisible anymore. Not completely, anways.
1. Chapter 1

Lauren is not a particularly jumpy person, nor is she easily scared. She has to admit though, it's particularly frightening to be walking in a light fog at six in the morning and suddenly have a vehicle drive slowly up beside you. It's even more frightening when the driver of that car was HER. You know, the most popular girl at school who could make or break your social status with a look. Not that it matters, hers is nonexistent.

"It's 45 degrees out and you're not even wearing a sweater. I thought you were supposed to be smart?"

Lauren hates that she has such a pleasing voice. It's so pleasing that she *almost* forgot to be offended. She even almost forgot to stop walking and address the other occupant of the dream she is clearly having.

"I'm used to the cold, it doesn't bother me." That was a bald faced lie. She was freezing her butt off, but when faced for the first time with someone like HER, she certainly wasn't going to explain that she had been doing the labs for her chemistry class at home and had spilled silver nitrate all over her only fashionably acceptable sweater. She had this horrible habit of over explaining the most mundane of events as if people actually cared. Also she couldn't decide between being snarky or a pushover.

"Okaaaay...well anyways I forgot to change my alarm and left super early, so I can give you a ride and fulfill my good deed of the week" she said this while simultaneously unlocking the passenger door, emphasising the fact that it wasn't a request, which was strange, but logical thinking before 7am is probably illegal somewhere. Lauren hesitated only for a moment. It *was* freezing cold, so she stopped trying to figure out all the ulterior motives SHE could possibly have for doing this "good deed", as if she was some kind of peasant in need of assistance. She nervously adjusted the strap of her messenger bag and, without even glancing in the brunette's direction, placed it in the backseat of the ridiculously bright red Mustang before muttering a quick thank you and taking her place in the passenger seat. As expected of a vehicle existing simply as a status symbol, the seat was very comfortable, though Lauren held back from commenting on it. She also realized the car was a convertible. With the top down. In 40 degree weather.

Yep, logical thinking was out the window today, and not only for her.

"Your welcome." As if knowing that the blonde would change her mind at any moment, she quickly accelerated without even glancing at the road once the passenger door was closed. Lauren wasn't sure why this surprised her. She assumed due to her drivers popularity, and the company she kept, that safe driving practices were not high on her list of priorities. This was further proven by the apparent complete and utter lack of seat belts in the car as she groped around her seat.

"You have to reach far in on the right of the cushion. It never gets used, so it's been stuck for awhile." This was stated as if it was completely safe and acceptable to drive not only underage, but without wearing basic safety equipment. She dug around for it immediately, though it took her awhile to untangle it from itself. She internally sighed in relief when finally it was perfectly straightened and connected to its counterpart, the click comforting her immediately. Once situated and comfortable, Lauren dared to glance over at her unfairly attractive travel companion. This was the closest she had ever been to HER in the ten years she had known her. Known actually might be an exaggeration, more like knew she existed. As expected she wore the latest fashions and colors expected of her sex. Her long shiny brown hair was in a half ponytail hairstyle that kept it out of her face but still looking like she just came off the red carpet. She averted her gaze the second Bo's eyes flickered in her direction.

"You should wear one too. Even at slow speeds, the force of a collision could cause severe injury," she blurted out, immediately looking as far away as possible at the passing suburban homes that all looked the same. Bo laughed lightly while accelerating ever so much. Lauren is convinced she is doing it on purpose. So much for holding her own.

"I'll be fine, I'm a good driver for my age. Clean record and everything!" There is a hint of genuine pride in her voice. Lauren is anything but rude, and still convinced she's dreaming, so she leaves it at that. No need to comment on the reasons why, none of which were due to safe driving practices.

"I think this is the first time we've ever talked. My name's Bo by the way." Lauren withholds a scoff. Of *course* she knows her name! Bo introducing herself to Lauren is like Adele introducing herself to a millennial. Seriously.

"I'm Lauren." Probably an unneeded introduction, as it will most likely forgotten in five minutes.

The ride continues on in silence for a few minutes before it is broken again. "Do you always walk to school so early in the morning?" Not expecting the question, Lauren glances back over at Bo. For a moment their eyes meet, and Lauren has to look immediately away. Anxiety claws at her chest and she suddenly wishes she never got in the car.

"No, usually I ride my bike. I forgot the time change too, so I opted to take a walk." Neither acknowledge the common function of cell phones to automatically compensate for daylight savings. She was also going to resist the temptation to explain how she had forgotten not only the combination for her bike lock, but also the location of the backup key.

"Couldn't your mom give you a ride?"

The common act of lying is contemplated.

"I didn't want to wake her up so early."

Truth was her mother was already at work at her second job. Asking her for a ride would have meant taking time from work, which she knew they couldn't afford. Besides, walking for two miles never hurt anyone.

"She should be up anyways getting ready for work right?"

Since she's dreaming, it can't hurt to actually say what she wants, right?

"If I'm inconveniencing you in any way, feel free to pull over and I can be on my way." This whole not being a pushover thing felt great!

Bo chuckles as she slows down at a red light more than necessary, obviously trying to time the green.

"Like I said, my good deed for the week."

Lauren smiles inwardly when, right as Bo is forced to do a complete stop, the light turns green. Bo mutters a curse under her breath, and accelerates quickly in irritation. She takes the next right without so much as a glance to check for pedestrians or traffic.

"1st period doesn't start until 7:15. What's the rush?" Lauren isn't sure why these particularly set of words leave her mouth. Of course she wants Bo to rush. The sooner they get to school, or at least close to it, the sooner she can get out of the car and no longer fear for her life. She highly doubts Bo will park her car in her usual spot where everyone can see who her riding companion is. Then again, her typical group wouldn't likely be on campus this early.

"I'm not rushing. The light was turning green."

She chooses not to argue, only to distract herself by looking out again at the passing houses and businesses as they got closer to school. The cold air rushing by and background noise of other cars helps cover up the stifling silence in the car, though it did nothing for her body temperature, just as the fog does nothing to deter Bo from surpassing the legal speed limit. Lauren hopes this isn't the manner in which she dies, cold and having never finished watching every Star Trek known to man.

"Are you cold? I don't have an extra sweater, but I can close the top." Lauren isn't sure why she bothered asking, before her sentence was even complete she could hear grinding noises signaling the top to the convertible was coming down. Also not to mention the fact that considering how cold it is, probably should have been closed in the first place. ALSO the fact that now that the top is down, there is no longer white noise to cover up the silence, increasing the already awkward atmosphere.

Also the fact that they're less than a mile from campus.

They hit a red light at the final intersection before the main parking lot of the school, and Bo actually completely stops this time. This confuses Lauren. Why didn't she turn right? The staff parking lot would be a perfect drop off point, the only witnesses being staff and faculty. She chances a glance at her escort. Bo is looking straight ahead, tapping the steering wheel with her thumbs to some unknown rhythm in her head and chewing her bottom lip.

"I can get out here if you want."

Bo stops drumming her fingers and looks at her with a most perplexed look.

"Why would I drop you off here? I'm going to park in the student parking anyways" She says this as if they live in an alternate universe where she isn't the most popular girl in school and Lauren isn't invisible. Her anxiety flares up again so she doesn't answer. She instead takes silent deep breaths to calm her nerves.

The light turn greens after what feels like forever. The car lurches forward and after a few hundred yards, Bo sharply turns into the student parking lot and into a prime parking spot. It's so early all of the good spots are open. Not that it matters, Bo has an unofficial designated spot that no one challenges. Bo closes the windows and turns off the ignition, exponentially increasing the awkward atmosphere and Lauren's blood pressure.

"We're here"

No shit sherlock, Lauren thinks to herself. A few incredibly awkward seconds pass with neither occupant getting out of the car. She has this weird need to be the last person to get out of a car, but decides the stifling awkwardness isn't worth indulging her OCD over.

"Thanks...for the ride." Sweet poop in a bucket, could it get ANY more awkward?

"No problem. I'll see you around. Hopefully wearing a sweater." Lauren wasn't sure if Bo was being snarky in return, or trying to be funny. Either way, she needed to get the hell out of the car before she passed out from anxiety. She went to pull the door handle to open it, when it wouldn't budge.

"The hell…" Lauren mumbled under breath, trying once more to open the door.

"Shit, I forgot that gets stuck. Hold on let me try." and before Lauren has a chance to react, Bo was reaching over and fiddling with the door handle, her head mere inches from Laurens. The scent of her shampoo wafted into Lauren's nostrils, a familiar scent she couldn't quite pinpoint. It was something she had smelt before, something she smelt almost every day of her life since she was six years old. It smelled like…

...dirt. Bo Dennis's hair, of all things, smelled like dirt. And of course it is with this realization that Lauren's chronic word vomit disease decides to rear it's ugly head.

Right then the door handle clicks and the door opens up wide open, though not before Bo pulls back to her original position and gawks at her.

"Excuse me!?" Bo looks at her with the most incredulous look, like she just threw a skunk at her.

Lauren has to be fair, she doesn't think *any*one would be ok with their hair being described in such a manner.

"I'm sorry, I just do a lot of gardening, and that's exactly what it smells like. I'm sorry, I should have kept that to myself." Yep, bye bye not being a pushover, was a nice ten minutes while it lasted. Her anxiety, which had started to lessen, came back full force.

Bo raised her eyebrows at her, her expression softening, now just looking at her perplexed.

"I love to garden." She could have slapped herself at how ridiculous that sounded coming out of her mouth.

Bo's expression morphed again into one of amusement. Lauren's face flushed red and she immediately vacated the vehicle as quickly as possible without another word. She power walked for a good ten or fifteen seconds before realizing that the usual weight on her left shoulder was not there.

Frack.

She stopped, cursed the high heavens for her bad karma, and turned around to retrieve her bag.

And there she was, standing behind her opened door leaning against the frame, holding her bag with her left hand, the single strap resting on two fingers. She had this smirk that *screamed* did-you-forget-something and this infuriated Lauren, but also gave her a tingling sensation in her abdomen.

She clenched her jaw as she neared the car, reaching for her bag as soon as she was close enough. Bo held on tight to the bag.

"You're not even going to say thank you?" The smugness was dripping from her voice. Lauren pulled harder on the bag, again Bo held on tight. The blonde sighed.

"Thank you. Can I have my bag?"

"You're being awfully rude for someone who got saved from walking three plus miles in the freezing cold. I saved your life the way I see it."

"I technically already *did* say thank you. Also I didn't ask for a ride, you practically forced me in the car. Also you had the roof down for most of the time, so the way I see it all you saved me from was needed exercise."

"Exercise? You're in amazing shape, you don't need exercise!"

Lauren eyes widened at the statement. She had absolutely no comeback for this, as she was completely unprepared for the backhanded compliment. Apparently neither was Bo, as her grip loosened on Lauren's bag and appeared distressed at the slip.

"Uh, thanks. For the ride and...not taking stuff from my bag. Not that there is anything is there worth stealing. Just homework and the uh required text…" Lauren quickly put the bag over her left shoulder, gave Bo a head nod, and briskly walked back in the direction of campus.

"Have a great day Lauren!" she heard Bo call behind her.

She stopped in her tracks for a moment, and then continued on, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Bo remembered her name.

A/N: This is probably garbage. Also hbomba made me do it. Also damn ffnet for not allowing submissions within 12 hours of making an account. Also please review telling me how cold poop in a bucket is preferable to this, so I can lay it to rest.

Okbai.


	2. Chapter 2

Anxiety was an evil sensation. It claws and pushes on your chest, threatening to burst and kill you. It grabs your stomach and twists it, causing anything that went into it to come right back up and ruin any desire for further consumption. It makes you say and do things you would never do in your right mind. It makes you doubt everything you thought was comfortable and stable about your life, and convinces you the most the ridiculous of lies are the truth.

In other words, it makes you completely and utterly miserable.

And Lauren blames her current bout entirely on Bo Dennis.

She had forgotten her bag in Bo's car in her haste to exit, which is something she's never done. She *never* forgets her bag. Her limited edition Star Trek messenger bag was one of her most prized possessions, something her mother had saved up for months to get for her birthday last year. She couldn't bear the look on her mother's seemingly always exhausted face if she ever lost it. It would kill her. How is it that one short car ride would cause her to forget something so important?

Before she internally answered her own question, she had reached the center of her school's quad, and noticed how devoid it was of any students, only the school janitor unlocking the doors to various buildings. This reminded her of what time it is, which is too early to already be on the verge of having an anxiety attack. Also too early to get anything to eat, though at the moment she couldn't stomach anything anyways. She decides to go to the only place she feels safe and is accessible this early in the morning.

xxxxx

She knocks on the classroom door lightly. The hallways of the science building were dead silent, and she hated the echo sound of loud knocking.

"Come in!" she heard a muffled voice call from the inside. Lauren smiled and opened the door to step inside. She was not surprised to find an older woman at the opposite end of one of the two long islands dividing the room, hard at work presumably setting up some kind of experiment. Her teacher and mentor, Mrs. Peterson (though she just called her Mrs. P), looked up from her tool cart and grinned when she saw Lauren.

"Lauren! What brings you by so early?" Mrs. P said with the kind of enthusiasm that makes you doubt sincerity, but Lauren knew better. She was a short and stout middle aged woman with short light brown hair and green eyes that shone whenever she genuinely smiled, like right now when she saw Lauren. The blonde smiled back, feeling her anxiety start to dissipate being around something familiar and welcoming.

"Like you always say Mrs. P, it's never too early to science!"

Her teacher laughed out loud at this, shaking her head. She motioned her student to come closer.

"Would you like to help me get the class ready? Kill time before your favorite class starts? This week we're doing your favorite!"

Lauren chuckled. Mrs. P was referring to her elective Drama class, which she absolutely hated. She couldn't see the productivity in it. Plus, the teacher was awful. She was constantly getting botox injections in her face and her nipples were like permanent torpedos. They were distracting, and not in the sexy way. She clearly had a boob job at some point, and apparently perma-erect-nipples were a side effect. They drove Lauren crazy, to the point that she imagined pushing them in like outie belly buttons so they would stop penetrating her bra, tshirt,*and* sweatshirt.

"I still can't believe they wouldn't let me do a double period of your class," she grumbled, taking off her bag and putting it aside in a safe place before walking around and grabbing various appropriate glassware and tools from around the lab that she knew like the back of her hand.

"You already come here on your free period and do free work! You know they have child labor laws for a reason? You come here any more than you already do, and the school might as well hire you! or suspend you for breaking the law. Ha! Lauren Lewis suspended! I'd get a pink slip first!"

"If they find out how much of a foul mouth you actually have, you just might!" Lauren retorted in mock offense. Lauren would never *dream* of talking to a teacher, or any adult for that matter, in such a way, but Mrs. P was not your average teacher OR adult. After knowing the woman for over four years, she knew her boundaries.

Mrs. P feigned shock, holding her hand to her chest and gasping dramatically.

"Whatever would they do without me!?" They laughed together, and the grip anxiety had on Lauren's chest lessened

They continued to banter back and forth, continuing to set up the lab. By the time they finished thirty minutes later, Lauren's cheeks hurt from laughing too much and her anxiety had all but vanished.

This was her safe place. Where she could escape to, where she could hide. Mrs. P was almost always there, and never failed to cheer her up and make her feel better about whatever situation she was faced with. It did, however, come at a cost.

"If you think I'm not going to ask why you are here this early, you're not as smart as I give you credit for kiddo." Mrs. P looked expectantly at Lauren over the brim of her glasses, settling herself on a barstool and crossing her arms. Lauren knew this position. It meant no games were to be played.

"Goodness you're the second person today to question my intelligence, and school hasn't even technically started!" the exasperation she was feeling leaching into her tone. She shoved her hands in her jean pockets, mirroring her teacher and settling on a barstool.

"Oh really? Pray tell me who was the first?"

Lauren inwardly groaned, frustrated that her teacher caught her slip. The questioning of her intelligence today was deserved, considering how many times her mouth had already slipped up. Any chance of escaping her instructor's imminent interrogation had vanished, and she fought to suppress even a sliver of anxiety from rearing it's ugly head.

"Nobody important, just another student who gave me a ride to school…" The blonde looked away, choosing to stare at the student station in front of her and fiddle with a test tube holder, not being to handle the intense stare of her mentor.

Mrs. P gave her a look like she was going to strangle her.

"Lauren, you have ten seconds to tell me what happened before I tell the principle you've been sneaking materials home to do your own experiments!"

Lauren's eyes widened and she gasped. "You wouldn't!" Mrs. P responded with a look that said "Try me!". They stared at each other for a moment before Mrs. P laughed and gave in.

"No no of course not! But the sooner you tell me what's going on with you, the sooner I'll write your letter of recommendation!"

Lauren sighed. Resistance was futile.

"Bo Dennis gave me a ride to school this morning. That's it! No big deal, just one human being being decent to another. Nothing to panic over! Nothing to overanalyze or overthink," the blonde rushed out, wanting it to be done and over with and never spoken of again.

"Bo Dennis!? Now she was NOT who I was expecting! Please entertain an old fart like me, how did the ride go?" the older womans demeanor completely changed as she uncrossed her arms and leaned forward onto the table in front of her, resting her chin on her interlaced hands.

Lauren seriously could not win today, and she hadn't even made it to 1st period.

"Nothing exciting happened! Her first words to me in our entire lives implied my lack of intelligence, she practically forced me into the car under false pretenses, drove like a madwoman without any thought of my safety, asked invasive questions, made fun of me, practically stole my bag, called *me* rude, and then! Then...uh…"

"Then what!? Child, do not play games with this old heart of mine!" Mrs. P was practically falling off her stool from anticipation. Lauren gulped. Her mentor only ever called her child when she was serious.

"She uh, she may or may not have implied that I was in good physical condition…" Lauren mumbled, face flushing red.

Mrs. P apparently couldn't contain herself and released the largest belly laugh Lauren had ever heard from the eccentric older woman.

"Sweet baby Maeve child! Don't you see!? It's obvious!"

"What's obvious?" Lauren said incredulously.

Before Mrs. P could respond, however, the bell indicating the end of 0 period rang through the room.

"Saved by the bell! This will be discussed at a later time, kiddo, don't you worry! An elephant never forgets!" Mrs. P emphasized her statement with a hearty slap of her belly.

Lauren groaned, standing up to grab her bag and head to her "favorite" class. Mrs. P never forgot anything, and NEVER let her off the hook either. She did it because she cared though, and Lauren was forever grateful to her for so many things, even if she frustrated her to no end sometimes

"Thanks for letting me help set up, I'll see you after 1st lunch!" Shoving her hands in her pockets, she moved to leave the lab room, regretting slightly not leaving a little earlier as she could already hear students outside the classroom.

"Lauren!" her teacher called out for her just as her hand was about to open the door. She looked back at Mrs. P, who was giving the same expectant look she gave earlier.

"It would be good if you allowed yourself some fun for once. Hell, you might actually make a friend under 40! This is your last year, make the most of it! Stop living in the shadows and experience things!"

Lauren looked down shaking her head, looked back up at her beloved teacher and grinned.

"The shadows do me just fine *ma'am*, but I'll give it some thought!" she said this while quickly exiting the lab room.

"Ma'am!? Now look here *child*!-" her voice was cut off by the door closing and Lauren giggled, knowing she would pay for it later.

xxxxx

Speaking of shadows, now that she was outside of her safe zone, it was back to navigating them. She moved silently through the hoards of students with an expertise that came with years of practice. Quickly and precisely, she navigated the halls of the science building and exited.

The once deserted quad was now teeming with students and staff. It never ceased to amaze Lauren how the same cliqs would gather in the same spots at the same time every single day. The unofficial claims each group had over their respective spot were final and, unless you wanted to start an argument or fight, were indisputable.

Her eyes panned over the area, charting the most efficient and secure route, when her stomach grumbled, a sharp ache following shortly. She sighed, completely forgetting the biological imperative to consume food to give her body energy. This meant re routing and having to go through the cafeteria, which would be swarming with students escaping the cold and who, like Lauren, had forgotten to eat breakfast.

Sigh.

"Might as well get it over with," she mumbled to herself. Adjusting her bag, she briskly walked to the cafeteria, putting on her blinders and avoiding any semblance of eye contact with those she passed by.

She pushed through the side glass doors of the cafeteria. This lead directly to the food line and avoided the always crowded main entrance. She got in line behind a few students, craning to see what was offered that morning.

"Don't get the eggs, they're powdered and taste like ass."

Lauren yelped, the unexpected voice nearly made her jump out of her skin and soil her pants. Though she instantly recognized the voice, she still looked to see the perpetrator who nearly caused her to publicly defile herself. Bo, of course, looking just as smug as she did an hour or so earlier, her dark brown eyes were twinkling with mischief.

"Jesus Christ, what is your problem!?" she cried, holding her hand to her chest to calm her racing heart. Several students noticed her outburst and looked at her like she was crazy. She tried to look as normal as possible, hoping they would look away sooner than later.

"Saving your life, again. Seriously, those eggs made me so sick I could only have jello and 7 Up for a week. I bet you that kid won't be here tomorrow, ten bucks!" she motioned to a freshman who just received a huge portion of the not-so-appetizing concoction of capitalism at it's best.

"You nearly scared me to death, not something I would consider life saving! and I'm not going to take a bet on the health of another student!" she retorted, wishing the line would go quicker. There was only ten minutes till 1st period started, and even if she hated the class, she despised being late for anything. Also the longer she was around Bo the tighter her chest got.

Bo shrugged. "Fine, but I still advise against the eggs. You wouldn't want to get sick and ruin that perfect attendance record of yours."

Before Lauren could comment on how Bo even knew about her attendance record, she finally made it to the food counter. She grabbed a plate, quickly surveyed her options, and decided on a whole wheat bagel and a small tub of cream cheese.

"Please tell me you are NOT eating a wannabe doughnut!?" Bo exclaimed behind her. Lauren wasn't sure if it was the seriousness of Bo's voice or the ridiculousness of her statement, or a mix of both, but she surprised them both by laughing.

"Wannabe doughnut? If anything, doughnuts are wannabe bagels!" Lauren argued, unable to contain the mirth in her voice. She looked back at Bo to see her looking straight at her, the usual smug look replaced by what seemed to be genuine amusement, despite the fact that they were technically arguing.

"Please, Miss Lewis, explain to me how that is even remotely true," Bo challenged while following closely behind Lauren as she waited her turn to check out with the cafeteria worker at the end of the counter. She suddenly grew nervous, feeling the pressure of having to back up her argument.

"Pretty sure archaeologists found depictions of bagels in Egyptian hieroglyphics literally *ages* ago. Doughnuts weren't a thing until the the mid 19th century!" Lauren gleefully replied, satisfied with her photographic memory pulling through for her, and the fact that it was finally her turn. Looking away from Bo's shocked face, she gave the cafeteria worker her student ID number. Once her number was punched in, the computer let out a loud beep, and the worker gave her a thumbs up. She nodded in response and took her food to a nearby countertop to prepare her breakfast.

"First of all, how the hell did you know that. Second, why didn't you have to pay?" Bo appeared again beside her, resting her arm on the countertop and leaning her entire body against the counter, the position accentuating her hips and upper chest that were already being accentuated by her tight fitting apparel. Lauren fumbled with the plastic film of the cream cheese tub, her nervousness growing exponentially and surpassing what she could have sworn was amusement she was feeling.

"I uh, well my mom actually, has a uh book um...on the history of bagels." She stuttered this out, avoiding looking in Bo's direction and seeing her reaction to her explanation that she probably didn't believe and avoiding the second question. She continued to struggle with the cream cheese before Bo grabbed it from her shaking hands, grabbed a plastic knife, cut and removed the plastic film, and handed the cream cheese back to Lauren.

"Uh, thanks," Lauren mumbled out, taking the tub from Bo's, avoiding any possible touch. She went to grab another knife, when Bo grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"Just use this one, no point in wasting another," Bo stated, turning Lauren's hand upward and placing the knife delicately into her hand. The blondes anxiety spiked at the physical touch. She avoided physical touch like the plague, but she couldn't help but note the soft and warmth of the brunettes hand. She pulled away quickly, making eye contact with Bo briefly before focusing back on her breakfast, spreading the cream cheese on her bagel with no coordination and putting on way more than she would normally.

"You didn't answer my second questio-" Lauren thanked the high heavens when the five minute warning bell rang through the cafeteria, cutting Bo off from finishing her statement. She didn't particularly like the conflicting feelings she was experiencing around the still unfairly attractive female, and couldn't comprehend why she chose to interact with her in the first place, considering she was in the line for food and didn't even get any. She shoved half of the bagel in her mouth while grabbing the second half, gave Bo another head nod, and quickly left the cafeteria without once looking back.

Once back out in the quad, she made a beeline toward the liberal arts building, avoiding other students while practically inhaling her breakfast, trying to shake the strange indescribable feeling in her chest she would end up attributing to hunger pains. She had let her guard down for a moment when she laughed at Bo's social commentary of bagels. Whatever the brunettes intentions were, they were unlikely to be sincere. Considering they had never interacted or held a conversation before, she couldn't comprehend any logical reason for her to start talking to her now without any kind of provocation.

It was simple. Bo meant to get food, and simply forgot in her quest of the history of bagels. That's it.

Lauren was satisfied with this explanation, before another problem flittered into her consciousness.

"How the heck did she know my last name?"

xxxxx

A/N: Now look here people. I asked you to do ONE thing! and what do ya'll do? You say you LIKE it! GOODNESS now I have to keep going dammit! -_- Seriously though, I work full time and am an almost full time student along with real life obligations, which leaves me very little time to dedicate to this. I posted on a whim, genuinely thinking it would not be liked. Please forgive how long it takes to update.

Also all mistakes are mine, which I'm sure there are quite a few.

ALSO Em, you asked for it :P

ALSO#4 thank you for the positive reviews and for the criticisms, I appreciate them and they make my day :) Please continue to review and critique, I always strive to improve in everything I do :)

ALSO #5 sorry for the multiple re-uploads. Kept picking the wrong version, and ffnet pisses me off with what symbols it accepts and which ones it doesn't and the way it reformats .


	3. Chapter 3

Lauren loved school. She really did. Why get high off drugs when you could lose yourself in the endlessly amazing world around you? There is a cornucopia of information in something as simple as the act of breathing and the food you eat and even hiccups, and Lauren found the pursuit of obtaining all this information more addicting than any drug or drink, though like any addiction, it came at a cost.

For example, the existence of a social life. Here she was, lunchtime, sitting by herself on the west side of the cafeteria against the wall cross legged, eating her usual fare of greens and sprouts and assorted fruits, sometimes a candy bar if she was feeling particularly adventurous.

And sleep. There was many a night where she was up late completing homework, or reading another daunting novel recommended to her by Mrs. P that she couldn't devour fast enough.

She could have graduated her Junior year, but her mom refused, saying she needed to socialize more and actually *experience* high school, try and make some friends and memories out of the one life experience that apparently never ends, and because she "didn't work two jobs and days and nights and weekends for your only friend to be a hippie 40-year-old Chemistry teacher with questionable ethics in allowing a 16-year-old to take home school property!"

Oh yes, Lauren remembered THAT speech like civil rights activists remember "I have a dream!"

Friendship didn't come easy for Lauren, however. Or at all. Most people her age were busy gossiping about the latest celebrity scandal, or who broke up or hooked up, things she has absolutely no interest in.

Also the fact that when faced with a social interaction, her entire body would seize and her brain, which normally wouldn't stop working, would completely abandon her and leave her a stuttering hopeless mess.

Thus, she avoided them whenever possible. She had her Mom and Mrs. P, and that sufficed for her, and that seemed to be fine with the rest of the world. No one attempted to socialize with her, and she made no such attempt with them.

Scratch that, it seemed to be fine with everyone, except one Bo Dennis.

She had managed to get through most of her school day without any further surprise meetings from the brunette, but was infinitely frustrated by her inability to erase her from her mind. Once her brain snagged onto something, it was impossible to break its clutch until the problem was solved or explained.

And that was what Bo had become to Lauren. A problem. A conundrum she couldn't understand, and Lauren *hated* things that couldn't be solved with a simple mathematical equation.

Lauren sighed, setting down her unfinished meal and leaning her head against the cold concrete wall of the building she rested against. Closing her eyes, she tried to control and order her thoughts that bounced around like erratic gas particles.

God she wished she could make them stop. To just be able to hold the thoughts still long enough to discern them, analyze, and compute. Humans were social creatures, and she could not deny her curiosity for things other than science. But the art of socializing (and it *is* an art) was something without consistancy or routine, and she *lived* for routine.

So all she could do was what she always did when faced with such a dilemma. Write it down till her brain magically came up with a solution.

The same loud obnoxious bell range through the quad, signalling the end of lunch period and the mass movement to next period. Standing up, packing up her bag and the remnants of her meal, Lauren headed to the science building, readying herself for the promised interrogation ahead.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lauren usually entered the classroom first so she could get the best spot by her beloved teacher, which was also next to all the supplies, equipment cabinets, and fume hood.

And away from most students, who stayed far away from the terror that is Mrs. Peterson.

Today, however, she snuck in after most had already entered, and picked a station farthest away from Mrs. P and closest to the door. She felt her stare the second she stepped through the entrance, and knew her efforts to avoid the impending investigation of her already strange day would be fruitless.

"Alright children! Please pass up your permission slips for this week's experiment! Also have your prelab assignment out and ready for me to sign off, otherwise you cannot begin and you will lose a letter grade!" Mrs. P's deep voice reverberated loudly throughout the entire room, impossible to miss as the blonde sat down on a stool and set her bag down. Mrs. P began her rounds, grabbing students assignments and checking them, making click noises with her tongue if they were unsatisfactory in any ways.

Lauren usually loved this part. She never once got the 'click', and part of her enjoyed hearing her peers be critiqued.

This time, however, the closer she got, the more nervous she became. She knew that Mrs. P knew what she was attempting, and she wouldn't be happy. A not happy Mrs. P was a scary Mrs. P.

She was two students away when Lauren realized her assignment wasn't even out to be checked. Quickly grabbing her bag, she nearly broke the buckle trying to open it to pull out her binder. The click of the tongue grew closer. Clenching her teeth, Lauren was pretty sure she was going to have a heart attack. She pulled open the binder by the rings, not even bothering with the metal tabs. Wrenching out the assignment, she slammed it down onto the counter right as she felt the undeniable presence of her instructor next to her. The loud sound caught the attention of her other classmates, and Lauren shrank as they stared at her with the kind of attention she did everything to avoid.

The older woman silently picked up the pages, pushing down her glasses and looking over the brim. She looked over the pages, scanning the words, not making a sound or making any indication as to her feelings. After a few seconds, she placed the assignment back down onto the counter and looked straight at Lauren, pointing to the papers.

"I don't recall today's experiment having anything to do with the real world implications of David Copperfield on modern society."

Her classmates sniggered. Mrs. P immediately snapped her head around and gave them a look that could level mountains.

"I'm not sure why any of you are laughing, unless it's at yourselves. Her submission of nothing is better than what some of you lot turned in! Now get out your manuals and get started!" she snapped

Lauren shrank in on herself even further, if it was even possible. She wasn't the one being yelled at, but her teachers sten voice was still scary. With shaky hands, she reopened her traumatized binder in search of the correct assignment. She was *sure* that it was the top most assignment. Her essay was for the following period, and she *always* put her assignments in order in which they were to be turned in. Always.

She flipped through all the papers in her binder, her anxiety rising as it became more apparent that her assignment was not in it. It had to be there! She searched and searched, but to no avail. She reached the end of her binder, her required submission to start the experiment she could do blindfolded nowhere to be found. She rested her hands palms face down flat against the counter, controlling her breathing and pushing down the rising panic. She turned to Mrs. P, who was still standing beside her, lips pursed, a rare thing to be directed at her. She gulped.

"I *know* it was here! I checked this morning before I left my house, I had it done almost a week ago! I just...I have no idea where it is! It should be right here!" she exclaimed, her voice breaking in midst of her panic. The fact that her other classmates were now witnessing her imminent breakdown was certainly not helping the unprecedented situation.

**"Well it isn't *here* obviously, and you can't start the experiment without it young lady no exception. Now, retrace your steps. Where could you have misplaced it between this morning and now?" Despite her publicly strict nature, her expression softening, noticing the obvious distress of her star student.

Lauren closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing and keep the stress of the moment from overwhelming her. She vividly remembered her morning routine, how she ALWAYS placed her assignments in the front of her binder in the *exact* order in which they were due that day. She'd check her bag and make sure she had all her supplies, check her hair and personal hygiene, and then get her bike, check the tire pressure and make sure they were at exact safe levels, and then be off to school. Of course this morning she had completely forgotten her lock code and backup key, which lead to her walking to school, which lead to…

"Bo Dennis!" she yelled loudly, rising from her seat, fist raised high like she just solved world hunger. Every student stopped and stared again.

Thank goodness she had no reputation to speak of, at the rate she was going today, even if she had one, it just went out the fume hood. She sat back down, horrified at her outburst.

"Ok Sherlock, now that you have further disrupted my class, you are excused can go find Miss Dennis and retrieve your assignment, otherwise you cannot start the experiment." The mirth in her teacher's eyes betrayed her stern tone.

"You mean *now*!?", Lauren said quietly as the other students lost interest and resumed the experiment. She knew her mentor was having a go at her, though what her intentions were, she had no clue. "I have no idea where she is, how on earth am I supposed to get it from her, assuming she does in fact have it?"

Mrs. P rolled her eyes. "You know she's on the soccer team, so you know she has 2nd lunch, which starts-" her voice was cut off for the second time that day by the obnoxiously loud bell.

"-now. The rest is up to you. You've got ten minutes child! No exceptions!" She turned around and marched back to the front of the class without another word, barking out orders to the other students.

This can't be happening, Lauren thought, her insides clenching as her peers began the experiment, already way ahead of her. She was *always* the first to start and finish, and she hated being behind on anything. Did her favorite teacher seriously expect her to be able to find Bo and get her assignment and back to the classroom in under ten minutes? This meant finding her in the first place in either the cafeteria or out in the quad, not to mention she was most likely around other students very much out of her social circle. If she didn't complete even one lab this semester, however, her grade would drop to a B, which was out of the question.

"Fine!" Lauren grumbled to herself, quickly cramming her belongings back into her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. She stood up, glaring straight at Mrs. P, who had taken her usual place at the front of the class, directing students and scolding any abhorrent behavior, and never even glancing in her direction. She took a deep breath, gathered whatever courage she had, and marched out of the classroom.

Out in the hallway, students were milling around, or on their way to the cafeteria. Luckily they were sparse enough that she was able to quickly make her way out to the quad. She scanned the vicinity, looking for the unmistakeable ruiner of her day. Students were scattered throughout, eating their lunches or relaxing in the midday sun in their respective cliques, taking advantage of the break. None of them that she could see was Bo.

Clenching her bag strap, Lauren breathed out before making her way through the quad to the cafeteria on the south end. She continued to search the quad as she drew closer to the main doors of the cafeteria, still finding no sight of the brunette. She must be inside the cafeteria, which she was hoping against hope from having to enter again, especially after that mornings events. She walked around to the side of the building, preferring to enter from the less watched side entrance she always used.

Opening the glass door, she was met with a cacophony of sound. Loud voices, clanging of lunchware, laughter, the screeching of shoes against linoleum. God she hated that noise, it was like nails on chalkboard, always causing her eyes to twitch. She eyed the clock against the far end of the wall. Her anxiety spiked, seeing that she only had five or so minutes left to meet her gracious teachers deadline. She pushed it down, however, and focused on her mission: finding the girl responsible for making her entire day a mess.

She scanned all the tables, looking for the inevitable clique of sports peeps she would most likely be sitting with. There were the groups you would expect: football, volleyball, swimming etc and of course the few band geeks and choir nerds tortured with second lunch shoved in the far corner tables. The soccer players were who she was looking for, and it only took a few seconds to find her unmistakably perfect head.

The culprit of her entire day of problems and anxiety was seated at the table dead center of the room, of course, surrounded by her soccer teammates. She was all smiles, laughing at something someone around her had said, looking nothing at all like she had just come from an hours worth of extensive physical activity. Her flawless brown hair was now up in a simple ponytail, and even from her current distance, Lauren could see the shine of freshly applied makeup.

Basically she looked utterly perfect, and it made Lauren's heart thump audibly in her chest. She had to walk through a crowd of rowdy popular kids, get her attention in front of her almost equally perfect peers, somehow get her assignment back, and make it back to class in, what, 4 minutes?

There was no turning back now. Her perfect 4.0 GPA was at stake, and she wouldn't let peer pressure get in the way. She breathed deeply in and out, adjusted her bag strap for the upteenth time, and marched her way through the crowd of tables and jocks.

Luckily they were so preoccupied with eating and socializing, maneuvering through them was relatively easy. Lauren kept her eyes locked on Bo, everything else becoming part of the background and unimportant. As she approached the table she realized, however, that she had never actually given thought to what she would say. Would she accuse her of intentionally sabotaging her future? Was it a simple accident?

Yes, it was most likely an accident. Even if it wasn't, she had not way to prove it, and making a scene in front of her friends would be ill advised. No need to cause tension or drama, something she enjoyed about being in the outermost social circle. No drama, no confrontation, no interaction with other members of her species, just the way she liked it.

Except for, of course, right now.

The blonde sidled up to the table just as Bo's head fell back in a deep hearty laugh. There was at least six other people at the table, all of whom were seated in some fashion around Bo, always the center of attention. They took no notice of her, entirely focused on Bo. She sidled up behind Bo and lightly tapped her on the shoulder, hoping to just ask for the assignment and be done with it.

Why Lauren thought anything today would be easy was beyond her.

Bo turned her side to look at her, the laughter still escaping her perfect mouth. Once she got a full look at her, her laughter died off, but the smile gracing her lips only got wider. It was only then that the other occupants of the Bo clique finally noticed her presence.

Feeling the attention of the entire table, including Bo, on her, her newfound courage instantly vanishing and be suddenly replaced by anxiety, her dear and constant companion. Why on earth did she think for a second that no one would notice exactly what Bo had her attention on at any given moment?

"I uh...I think you may have my Chemistry prelab report. By accident, of course! I'm sorry to bother you, it's just I have less than five minutes to turn it in or I get a zero, which would *destroy* my grade and, I mean, you don't need to know all that. I'm not even sure you have it, I just figured because of, you know...Can I have it please, if you have it...?" Lauren rushed out. She clenched her bag, unable to ignore the fact that the entire table had gone silent and was now staring at her like she was crazy.

Which she was, for thinking that it would be ok and unnoticed for her to talk directly to Bo freaking Dennis.

Bo's smile, however, had not wavered, and she was now digging through her own bag. She pulled out a set a papers she immediately recognized as her assignment from the handwriting, and she audibly sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness, I was so afraid you didn't have it!" Lauren rushed out in one breath, reaching for the papers. By then her instinct to run was at full strength and she *needed* to get away from the staring. She could still detect the hum of the room, which meant only the occupants of the table were paying her any attention, which was still more than she wanted. She was confounded, however, by Bo keeping her grip on the papers.

"This'll be the second time today that you didn't say thank you to me for doing something nice for you, just wanted to point that out."

Laurens grip on the papers loosened slightly, dumbfounded by her statement that, if she understood correctly, implied that *she* was responsible for inconveniencing *her*. Yeah, she TOTALLY wanted to risk her precious GPA just to antagonize her, cause you know, that's what Lauren does to people...

...but she *really* needed to get back to class, and her grade was worth sacrificing some of her dignity for.

"Thank you for, "rescuing", my assignment," Lauren forced out, glancing at the clock again, telling her she was down to two minutes. "I really need to go, so, can I have it please?"

Bo nodded, letting go of the papers, but keeping her penetrating gaze and smile towards the blonde. Lauren felt her mouth go dry, and managed to stutter out an awkward "Thanks" and her signature head nod before power walking out the front entrance she normally avoided while evading other students who thankfully paid her no mind.

Back out in the quad, she practically ran back towards the science building straight through the quad, forgetting her usual stealth tactics. She almost mowed over a student just leaving the building, her only focus being to get back to her class before her time was up. When Mrs. P said ten minutes, she meant to the second, no more no less, as she had learned previously.

Once inside, she was grateful whatever students were there before had now vacated the halls as she ran through them with no problem, her heart pounding in her chest and her breathe short as she counted down the seconds in her head.

Catching sight of the classroom door, Lauren could swear this must be the feeling runners get when they see the tape. She sprinted the last few yards, wrenched open the door, power walked between students and the lab counters straight towards Mrs. P, who was helping another student set up their apparatus, and slammed the papers down in front her. This startled the student, but Mrs. P looked at her, completely unphased.

"You're late."

Lauren nearly choked on the air she was currently desperate to take in. No, she was not! She still had ten more seconds when she burst into the room, thanks to her internal stopwatch.

"That, that is completely untrue! I still had at *least* ten more seconds!" Lauren rushed out loudly, the adrenaline that was still pumping through her veins now interfering with her control over her volume. At this point, only the students directly beside them were paying her any mind, the rest too busy still setting up their apparatuses.

"Not according to my clock child. You're thirty seconds late." She clicked her tongue, her hand holding up one of those tiny kitchen stopwatches, it's time stopped at 10:31.

Her teacher *had* to be kidding her. This whole *day*, which was barely halfway over, had to be kidding her.

She was about to open her mouth to argue, when Mrs. P held up her hand to silence her.

"However! If this submission is *perfect*, I'll forgive you my child."

Lauren kept silent as she flipped through her submission. A few nearby students had stopped what they were doing to watch. Apparently her embarrassment was entertaining. Bastards.

"Along with the life and times of David Copperfield, my assignment also did not ask for Bo Dennis's phone number." She held a piece of paper between her index and middle finger, and looked at her over the rim of her glasses with the most satisfied smirk. Lauren felt blood rush to her face as she snatched the paper from her teachers grasp, all too aware that the loud mention of Bo's name attracted the attention of almost the entire room. She shoved the note in her pocket, desperate for the sudden ability to be *actually* invisible.

Her teacher cackled out loud, grabbing a nearby red pen and writing a messy 100% over the cover page. "You can start the experiment now child. Great job!"

Lauren nodded her head, grabbing her assignment before heading back to her station to *finally* start the experiment. Her nerves were shot and the sooner she got into her comfort zone that was conducting experiments, the better.

"Child!"

Lauren nearly tripped over her own feet. She looked back at the source of the shout. "What!?" she cried out, beyond exasperated.

Mrs. P pushed down her thick glasses and looked straight at her.

"I wasn't talking about the assignment."

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A/N: Merry Christmas! I stepped away from my crazy ass family to submit this. Technically I *edited* it, but yeah, probably has some mistakes and inconsistencies. Please point them out if you see them xD

Also just to point out, writing is not my craft, and this story is pretty selfish, if that makes any sense?

Also thank you for your patience!

...also uh uh uh uh I need *one* more note! Uuuummmm oh yes! Eric! I know you're out there! I will wait patiently for your review. I will. I won't eat or sleep till this hapens.

...OKbai! Merry Christmas!


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